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3 CPE

How can I better mitigate an emotional topic and take the emotion out of an audit interview or audit exit meeting?

2 Ethics CPE

How to learn and understand the different forms of sexual harassment?

3 CPE

How to get faster and more precise audit team processes?

5 CPE

How can you become an even better internal auditor by active listening in audit interviews?

5 CPE

How can I more clearly define the objectives for performing my internal audit engagements?

1 CPE

2026 Audit Challenge Conference | Tracie Marquardt

4 CPE

As an audit team leader, how can you lead your audit teams in a more effective and focused way?

Leverage neuroscience to enhance your strategic communication with senior management and the Board. Learn how to deliver audit insights that influence decision-making, manage high-stakes discussions, and drive organizational change at the executive level.

Suggested training duration: Three half‑day sessions (total 1.5 days)

Training Description
As audit executives, the ability to communicate effectively with senior leadership, the Board, and strategic stakeholders is a key driver of success. This training, based on the latest brain research, empowers audit leaders to refine their communication strategies for maximum impact. Understanding how the brain processes information, emotion, and decision-making will allow you to tailor your messages in ways that resonate with top-level decision-makers.

This course focuses on high-level communication techniques that enable audit management to present complex audit findings persuasively, manage conflicts with strategic finesse, and build stronger relationships with key stakeholders. You will learn how to shape discussions that lead to action, influence decision-making with precision, and foster an environment of trust and collaboration.

By the end of this training, you will have mastered the tools needed to elevate your leadership communication and align it with the cognitive processes of senior management, ensuring your insights drive meaningful change. 

Learning Objectives:

1.        Master executive-level communication techniques that align with how the brain processes information and decision-making.

2.        Develop skills to present complex audit findings persuasively to senior management and the Board.

3.        Learn to manage high-stakes conversations with key stakeholders using emotional intelligence and brain science.

4.        Gain advanced conflict resolution skills to address disagreements and ensure audit recommendations are accepted.

5.        Tailor your communication style to align with the leadership perspectives and strategic priorities of executive teams.

6.        Use neuroscience-based techniques to influence Board-level decision-making and shape discussions that lead to action.

7.        Build trust and credibility with senior leadership by demonstrating an understanding of their cognitive and emotional drivers.

8.        Lead audit teams with enhanced communication strategies, ensuring alignment between executive priorities and audit deliverables. 

Audit Training Agenda:

1. Understanding Executive-Level Communication and Brain Science

• How senior leaders process complex information and make decisions
• The role of emotional intelligence in executive communication
• Aligning audit messages with leadership priorities

2. Delivering Persuasive Audit Insights to the Board and Senior Management

• Structuring audit reports and presentations for executive consumption
• Strategies for influencing Board decisions using neuroscience-backed communication
• Engaging senior leaders with clarity and confidence

3. Managing Conflict and Strategic Negotiation at the Executive Level

• Advanced conflict resolution techniques for handling high-level disagreements
• Negotiation strategies that align with cognitive and emotional drivers
• Ensuring audit recommendations are accepted and acted upon

4. Building Strong Stakeholder Relationships Through Trust

• Fostering long-term relationships with senior leaders and Board members
• Using brain-based techniques to build rapport and trust
• Communicating in a way that resonates with strategic decision-makers

5. Adapting Communication to Leadership Styles

• Tailoring your communication to the different leadership styles of executives
• Understanding and addressing the cognitive biases of senior leaders
• Customizing your approach for maximum impact

6. Advanced Emotional Intelligence in Leadership Communication

• Leveraging emotional intelligence to lead effective discussions
• Recognizing and managing emotional triggers in high-stakes conversations
• Enhancing communication through self-awareness and empathy

7. Practical Case Studies and Applications for Audit Executives

• Real-world case studies of executive-level audit communication
• Hands-on exercises to refine communication strategies with senior stakeholders
• Feedback sessions to improve leadership-level communication skills

8th December, 2026 | 09:00 - 12:30 CET

Objective

The risk environment is changing faster than traditional Internal Audit models can respond. This seminar presents Internal Audit Vision 2030, in which Internal Audit evolves from a predominantly retrospective assurance function into a Strategic Intelligence and Resilience Architecture. Participants will explore five integrated pillars covering strategic alignment, continuous risk intelligence, behavioral risk, AI enabled assurance, and Board level value protection. The seminar demonstrates how dynamic risk portfolios, continuous monitoring, data analytics, and scenario simulation can strengthen the relevance of Internal Audit. It also examines the future competencies, technologies, and operating models required by Internal Audit functions. Participants will leave with a structured roadmap for developing a future ready Internal Audit function.

Agenda

• Why the traditional Internal Audit model will no longer be sufficient
• The five pillars of Internal Audit Vision 2030
• Continuous Risk Intelligence and Behavioral Risk Analytics
• AI enabled assurance, data analytics, and Board reporting
• Future competencies, operating model, and transformation roadmap

Trainer
Torben Hilbertz is an international Board Member, Chair of several Audit Committees, and an experienced Governance, Risk, Finance, and Internal Audit leader with close to 30 years of international experience across Europe and the Middle East.

He currently serves as a Board Member and Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee of a publicly listed healthcare group, chairs the Audit Committees of two leading FinTech entities, and is an Audit Committee Member of a growing airline.

Previously, Torben held senior Internal Audit leadership positions at SWISS International Air Lines, Abu Dhabi Airports, and Abu Dhabi Health Services Company. He has built and transformed Internal Audit, governance, and risk management functions across aviation, healthcare, financial services, logistics, and international corporate groups.

He began his career with Arthur Andersen and combines extensive Board and executive experience with deep expertise in Corporate Governance, Behavioral Risk Management, data analytics, and the future development of Internal Audit. Torben holds the CIA, CFE, and CC professional certifications.

1 CPE

2026 Audit Challenge Conference | Dr. Zelia Njeza

1 CPE

Understand the principles, scope, and obligations set out in the European Artificial Intelligence Regulation.

2 CPE

How to support sustainable growth through awareness and action?

Try out AI Audit Assist for 3 months
€30.00 per month | €90.00 (3 months)

The ideal entry point for internal audit functions taking their first structured steps with artificial intelligence to automate core phases of the audit lifecycle.

Scope: Includes 11 essential use cases from the professionally designed ARC prompt library. Complex AI interactions are transformed into intuitive business forms, requiring absolutely no prompt engineering skills from your auditors.

Core Modules Included:

• Audit Preparation & Planning: Best-Practice Process Design and Industry Benchmarking, Regulatory and Normative Framework Analysis, Development of Audit Criteria & Benchmarks, Process-Oriented Risk Analysis, and Fraud Risk Analysis.
• Audit Fieldwork & Reporting: Audit Scope Definition, Development of a Risk-Based Audit Questionnaire (Audit Guide), Audit Interview Guide & Walkthrough Plan, Control Design Analysis for an Audit Object / Process, Assessment of IT Systems and Controls, and Creating a High-Quality Audit Finding (5C Methodology).

Your Value Proposition: Instantly automate repetitive audit documentation tasks, freeing up valuable resource capacity while establishing a consistently high quality standard across your audit engagements.

All profiles are delivered via secure, browser-based cloud hosting. Continuous software updates, new audit use cases, and methodology enhancements are fully included in your annual subscription.

Try out AI Audit Assist for 3 months
€30.00 per month | €90.00 (3 months)

Try out AI Audit Assist for 3 months
€45.00 per month | €135.00 (3 months)

The comprehensive package for established internal audit departments running the full engagement lifecycle, including advanced data analytics, sampling, and specialized IT audits.

Scope: Contains all 11 use cases from the BASIC profile plus 17 additional specialized modules (totaling 28 professional use cases).

Key Additional Modules:

• Advanced Planning: Review and Assessment of Existing Audit Reports, Typical Audit Findings, Analysis of Strategic Priorities and Audit Objectives, and Strategic Audit Alignment.
• Advanced Fieldwork & Analytics: Data Analytics Audit Concept, Comparison of Internal Policies, Process Documentation and Control Frameworks, Kick-Off Meeting Presentation & Communication Guide, Business Process Efficiency Analysis, Sampling Strategies (Standard Population), Sampling Strategies (Small Population with Finite Population Correction Factor), COBIT-Based IT Audit, and ITIL-Based IT Audit.
• Reporting & Closure: Root Cause Analysis for Audit Findings, Determining the Materiality of an Audit Finding, Management Summary for Audit Reports, and Guideline for the Audit Closing Meeting.

Your Value Proposition: Drive an increase in audit productivity of up to 30% across the entire engagement lifecycle. Automate fieldwork bottlenecks and deliver deep, root-cause-driven insights directly aligned with corporate strategic objectives.

All profiles are delivered via secure, browser-based cloud hosting. Continuous software updates, new audit use cases, and methodology enhancements are fully included in your annual subscription.

Try out AI Audit Assist for 3 months
€45.00 per month | €135.00 (3 months)

Try out AI Audit Assist for 3 months
€60.00 per month | €180.00 (3 months)

The high-end workspace for mature internal audit functions requiring rigorous quality management, advanced methodology frameworks, and executive-level reporting support.

Scope: The complete ARC AI Audit Assist ecosystem containing all 40 professional use cases, integrating a comprehensive quality management, review, and executive sparring layer.

Key Premium Modules:

• Audit Quality Management & Review: Clustering of Audit Findings into a Management Summary, Chief Audit Executive Sparring Partner for Audit Reports, Business Executive Review of an Audit Finding, Executive Review of the Audit Management Summary, and Quality Assurance Review of Audit Documentation.
• Strategic Planning & Methodology: Integration of IIA Topical Requirements into the Audit Scope, Development of a Risk & Control Matrix (RCM), and RACIVS-Based Control Analysis.
• Advanced Frameworks & Psychology: COSO-Based Audit Interview Guides, COSO-Based Criteria for Operational Audit Procedures, and the Behaviour-Adapted ARC HiANCA Audit Interview Guideline and Walkthrough Plan.

Your Value Proposition: Maximize professional and methodology compliance with the latest Global Internal Audit Standards. Equip the CAE with an automated, strategic sparring partner to sharpen executive reports and deliver flawless "Decision Intelligence" to the Audit Committee and Board.

All profiles are delivered via secure, browser-based cloud hosting. Continuous software updates, new audit use cases, and methodology enhancements are fully included in your annual subscription.

Try out AI Audit Assist for 3 months
€60.00 per month | €180.00 (3 months)